I haven’t read the entire report, either. I zoomed right in to that section and those few paragraphs just jumped right out at me.

I sincerely hope this is real change, too, and if it is it can have a positive impact on the sweatshop industries.

Maybe it’s in my name – Thomas. Like Thomas the Apostle, I always seem have my doubts until I can see for myself. For now, I guess we’ll have to “Доверя́й, но проверя́й” – “Trust, but verify”.

Tom

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I understand the cynicism when hearing about Nike and corporate responsibility, yet alone Lean, but I was trying to hope for the best (and I still will).

You’re right, lots of blaming going on.

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Then I read Ms. Jackson’s blog entry. Come on, a “must read!” ? “déjà vu for me!”? and this: “Nike has officially raised the bar on what brands and retailers can and should do to ensure their goods are made in a way that positively impacts the lives of workers, communities, and the environment.”

Wow. A positively glowing review from CSCC. Who is CSCC anyway, and why are they so effusive in their praise for Nike? I googled CSCC and found that they are apparently a for profit organization hired by corporations to be a 3rd party “independent” auditor of workplace safety, one that tries to “strive for objectivity, thoroughness, accountability, and quality in all that we do”. Kinda hard to be independent when you’re being paid by the people you’re supposed to be watching. Remember that Kathie Lee Gifford / Walmart sweatshop scandal a few years back? Guess who gave these sweatshops a pass on multiple occasions? So much for thoroughness and accountability.

Then there’s this, from the CR report, Part 3, Page 22 – “Factory Management”:

“Over the past 40 years, the apparel, footwear and equipment industries have remained fairly low tech, leveraging low-skilled labor in emerging markets. Increasingly, this model is being challenged to its core, given the evolving global marketplace and trading systems. One legacy of this model is that a majority of suppliers have immature local management systems, with poor human resources policies. (blame the suppliers) In addition, due to traditional tariff and quota systems (now blame the government) , many in the industry had a short term view of relationships with buyers and, consequently, a short-term view of their relationships with workers. (You mean YOU, Nike, had a short term (ie. profit) view and blame everyone else in world but yourselves)

We believe the predominant industry model of the past viewed workers as a commodity that were readily replaceable given the labor markets in emerging economies. (Ok, now we’re getting warmer – start admitting you’ve treated these people pretty badly)

Today, that view is going through a fundamental shift in Nike’s supply chain and business model.(Good. Stand up and take responsibility and, more importantly, action)

External factors (including changing labor patterns, new risks, new costs, new market pressures, new competitive landscapes and new trade agreements) and internal drivers (including innovations, research and development, new business modeling and concepts of responsible competitiveness) are now helping Nike and our partners to radically rethink the traditional model. (Whoops! I guess it was too much to ask to actually have something like “respecting people” be a fundamental reason to “radically rethink the traditional model”. Maybe it’s too radical a concept, or is respect for people buried somewhere in the “concept of responsible competitiveness”?)

Our core focus within apparel and footwear is to move toward fewer strong, long-term, strategic partnerships and a manufacturing model that drives efficiency and productivity and creates opportunities for workers. Called lean manufacturing, this model is discussed later in this chapter. We think that done well, with the right systems in place, the new models can alter – for the good – the way workers are treated and compensated.” (Good. Nice statement, but probably lifted off the jacket cover of a Lean book.)

I know, too cynical, and who the hell am I, right? I’ll give Nike some credit, then. They’re at least trying. They’ve claimed to have started Lean training in “18 of our contract factories – comprising nearly half the volume of our worldwide apparel production – have begun lean training and another six are set to follow in FY08.”

That’s great, but how about Nike’s leadership? It all sounds good, but what Lean training have THEY received? Are they leading this change, if it is real change, or are they just blowing politically correct smoke?

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